Display rack



p 21, 1965 A. ALPERT 3,207,098

DISPLAY RACK Filed Jan. 30. 1964 27/ INVEN AJRAHAM 4: PH?! Ram/H [ll/017 United States Patent 3,207,098 DISPLAY RACK Abraham Alpert, 19941 Ardmore Ave., Detroit, Mich. Filed Jan. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 341,455 1 Claim. (Cl. 108-111) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in merchandise display devices and particularly to a display device which is beneficial in the control of inventory.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a display device which is simple, durable and inexpensive that can be manufactured by modern mass production methods with a minimum amount of tooling.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a display device wherein the merchandise displayed is readily visible and available for inspection, without disorganizing any portion of the remaining display.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a display device which may be fixed or portable and of such cost as to be included with merchandise as a premium with a purchase of a particular size order.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a display device whereby visual inventory can be maintained and a count taken without necessity of handling.

These and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a display rack and inventory control device having at least two vertical members, said vertical members positioned in parallel spaced relationship; a plurality of grooves on the opposed sides of each of said vertical members, said grooves in alignment and parallel to each other; a plurality of horizontally disposed members, certain of said members maintaining said vertical members in spaced relationship, while certain other of said horizontal members are slidably positioned between the aligned grooves in the vertical members; the slidable horizontal members are of generally rectangular configuration and flat, said members having merchandise secured thereto and covered with a transparent medium for inspection; and means on said vertical members to prevent the accidental removal of the merchandise from the display, the complete display rack being ornamental and utilitarian, whereby merchandise can be quickly and easily displayed and readily counted without handling.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates an elevational view of a display rack which embodies the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a merchandise support member shown in FIGURE 1 with the merchandise removed.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the merchandise support member shown in FIGURE 2, with the merchandise secured and covered with a transparent material.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a modified merchandise support member, also shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a modified form of the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view of the modified display rack shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-section of another modified form of the present invention similar to that shown in FIG- URE 1, the merchandise being disposed at an angle as opposed to flat.

FIGURE 8 is still another form of a display device 3,207,098 Patented Sept. 21, 1965 which embodies the principles of the present invention.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates an elevational view of a display rack 10 which embodies the present invention. The rack 10 is of generally symmetrical configuration and has three vertical members 12 and three horizontal members 14. Each of the above members is joined by any suitable means, to form a rigid support for the removable merchandise contained therein.

The merchandise is supported on a generally flat, disposable pallet, as shown in FIGURE 2. The pallet is identified by numeral 16 and is generally rectangular in configuration. The ends 18 and 22 are parallel, while the side portions 32 and 36 have integral tabs 34 and 38 which extend therefrom. All of the edges 32, 34, 36 and 38 are parallel and square with the ends 18 and 22. All corners of the pallet have a radius thereon identified by the letter R.

The pallet shown in FIGURE 3 has merchandise thereon, such as a pair of slacks, covered with a transparent envelope 42. Tabs 34 and 38 extend outwardly therefrom to engage the grooves 48 in the vertical members 12. The grooves 48 in the vertical members 12 are of uniform dimension and positioned in parallel spaced relationship. It is now readily apparent that the merchandise (slacks) is readily visible, it can be quickly removed from the rack for inspection and that the inventory can be easily replenished so as to maintain a complete and adequate color selection.

The pallet 56 shown in FIGURE 4 is generally the same as that in FIGURE 3, with the exception of the tabs 34 and 38. In the pallet shown in FIGURE 4, perhaps the merchandise is a shirt housed in what is commonly termed a blister pak 62, and while the merchandise is not readily examined, damage (soil) is held to a minimum. To eliminate buying blin-d, samples of the material or fabric are provided on a card for the examination of the customer. The edges of the pallet 56, identified by numerals 58 and 59 are received in grooves 48 in the vertical members 12, as shown in FIGURE 1.

The modified form of the invention shown in FIGURE 5 illustrates a plan view of a proposed structure. In this structure, a platform 72 has secured thereto, an inverted U shaped member 74. Positioned in alignment therewith are a plurality of stacked members 80, which are adapted for removably engaging said U shaped member. This is accomplished by the use of a resilient clip 82 secured to each of the stacked members 80. The configuration of the resilient clip 82 is similar to that of a fuse clip. However, this engagement can be accomplished in many ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The stacked members are of symmetrical configuration and have a vertical wall 82 and an enlarged rail 84 on the top thereof and a pair of divergent flanges 86 on the bottom. Intermediate the top and bottom portions are two horizontal flanges 88, adapted to receive one edge of the pallet .16 or 56, with a second stacking member adjacent thereto for receiving the remaining edge of the pallet. This is best shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawings. The edges of the pallet are frictionally held with flanges 88, thus when the merchandise is removed, the complete pallet assembly, including the stacking members is withdrawn and the merchandise above will be quietly guided by the U shaped member to replace that which has been removed. The stacking members could of course be expendable after usage or reused, depending on the material used.

The rack 110 illustrated in FIGURE 7 is similar to the rack .10, shown in FIGURE 1. The exception is that the grooves 148 in the vertical member 112 are disposed in angular and generally parallel spaced relationship, with a stop 2 located in each of said grooves. Thus, when the tabs 34 and 38 are caused to engage and abut the stop 152, the merchandise is held in the rack 110. When the pallet is raised slightly, the merchandise can be readily removed from the rack. This construction merely eliminates any possibility of the merchandise being accidently removed from the rack, without resorting to frictional engagement of the pallet with the rack, which would create many problems not encountered with the proposed construction.

The rack 200 shown in FIGURE 8 is a wall mounted wire construction, wherein a single piece of wire is formed to the desired configuration. Two of these members are vertically positioned and aligned so that the open spaced members 248 receive the edges of the pallet 16 or 56.

From the foregoing specification, it is apparent that the above described invention is simple, durable and relatively inexpensive, that merchandise displayed in the rack is readily visible and available for inspection, that soil damage is held to a minimum and merchandise such as slacks, a very difficult item to handle and inventory, may be neatly organized, displayed and inventoried with a minimum amount of effort, by merely wrapping the slack around the pallet and covering same with a transparent envelope. Other items can be handled in a similar manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a display and inventory control device for the support of merchandise, the combination of,

at least two vertical members;

means for maintaining said vertical members in parallel spaced relationship;

a plurality of parallel grooves in each of said vertical members, said grooves on opposed surfaces thereof,

each of said grooves being in alignment with its respective counterpart;

each of said grooves being in parallel spaced relationship;

a stop located in each of said grooves on the lower edge thereof;

a generally rectangular merchandise support member which is used only once and discarded;

said merchandise support member having two tabs which extend therefrom in generally parallel relationship and are adapted to be positioned within two aligned grooves, one portion of each of said tabs engaging a stop member in each of said grooves;

the 'forward portion of said merchandise support mem her which extends beyond said stop members renders the merchandise supported thereby visible, while a slight upward pressure disengages said member from said stops and permits same to pass over said stops for quick access to the merchandise supported thereby for inspection as well as providing an inventory control quick count of vacant spaces.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 460,748 10/ 9 1' Hartmann 108-91 993,491 5/11 Wiselogel 211-434 1,273,894 7/18 Madison 206--73 1,853,216 4/32 Meyer 108-109 2,021,464 11/35 Rickard et al. 211-135 2,064,164 12/36 Ish 211134 2,112,498 3/38 Lax 108111 2,291,547 7/42 Giffard 211134 2,478,458 8/49 Carter et .al. 21171 2,735,552 2/ 5 6 Shnitzler et a1. 211-49 2,801,752 8/57 Jakubowski 21149 2,825,466 3/58 Shnitzler et al 211-49 2,891,677 6/59 Ritchie 211-49 2,946,455 7 Meyers 21149 3,085,352 4/63 Hartle 20672 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

